Quiz: Howstuffworks

What Classic Car Are You?

Zoe Samuel

Image: Grafissimo / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Cars are a unique cultural feature, one that changed society in dramatic ways. First of all, they are more than transportation, they are an investment. Some cars retain their value very well, while others hemorrhage money the moment they are driven off the lot. The existence of cars dominates the landscape, with all roads built for them, and all traffic laws designed around them. Cars are beloved for their personalities the way pets are, but no one ever prized a 50year-old "classic horse". Perhaps most strikingly, some cars' industrial design reaches the level of art, with looks that endure for decades, inspiring imitation and admiration alike.

Yet classic cars can be polarizing. Classics from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s are regarded with affection, if not envy, by most collectors. Yet some collectors deride cars from eras like the 1980s or 1990s, or specific types of cars, like the exuberantly designed drop tops from the 1950s. Classic cars don't need to appeal to everyone, but they need to be understood as deserving respect by someone. Many of these cars are so iconic that owners forget that cars from certain eras, classics or not, retain common flaws that make driving a chore.

"Which classic car am I?" you may ask. Are you a 1970s muscle car or a 1930s racer? Are you a 1990s supercar or a 2000s hypercar? Are you a flashy icon of the 1980s, or an early example from the 1900s? Take this quiz, and find out.

Time for a throwback. What is the most defining trait of "old school"?

Breakthrough engineering

Specialization

Form meets function

Unforgettable styling

What classic pickup would pick up your mood?

Chevrolet C/10 Cheyenne

Toyota FJ40

Dodge Li’l Red Express

Dodge Power Wagon

Why should someone buy a classic car?

As an investment

As a style statement

As a fun daily driver

As an art object

Let's start an international incident. Which nation made the most classic cars?

France

America

Japan

Italy

Which of these cars is so terrible, it qualifies as a weird category of classic?

Ford Aspire

Cadillac Cimarron

Horsey Horseless

Geo Metro

Which quality do you prize the most, with regard to classic cars?

Price

Power

Cool factor

Uniqueness

How do you feel about modern-build "classics" like the new Jaguar Lightweight E-Type?

It's criminal forgery.

It's a cool idea.

It's a waste of engineering talent.

It's like forming yet another Led Zeppelin cover band.

What are resto-mod cars, where a classic is tuned up and modified to behave more like a modern car?

Vandalism

A relief

A brilliant idea

Unnecessary

What's that smell? Is that ... How should collectors treat patina on classic cars?

Polish it out! Spit spot!

Replace any mechanical bits with period parts, but leave the trim as it is

Replace it with new parts that will not get worn down

Leave everything as is

Wotcha, guv! Which of these classic British sports cars was the best?

Lotus 7

Aston Martin DB5

Jaguar E-Type

TVR Griffith 200

Which of these brands, in your opinion, made the fewest true classics?

Jeep

BMW

Nissan

Lancia

Which of these modern American cars do you think is most likely to become a future classic?

Tesla Model X

Fisker E-Motion

Chevy SS

Hennessy The Exorcist

Looking to Italy, which Ferrari was the best one?

Dino

La Ferrari

308 GTB

348

Which of these American "classics" deserves to become a resto-mod?

B-Body Dodge Demon

Ford Cortina

Oldsmobile Starfire

Chrysler Conquest

Let's get serious. Once in a collection, how should classic cars be treated?

Like delicate art

Like a beloved, aged dog

Like a favorite pair of boots

Like one's life savings, if it was all stuffed in a mattress

Which of these everyday classics would you consider for your own collection, given a limitless budget?

1966 Dodge Coronet

1969 Ford Thunderbird Convertable

1976 BMW E21 3 Series

1994 Nissan 240SX R33 GTS Skyline

If your daily driver turned out to be a classic, how would you feel about the abuse it has suffered at your hands?

I'd be horrified.

I'd be proud.

I'd be regretful.

I'd be shocked.

Dae-what? Which of these obscure economy cars do you feel will be considered a classic one day?

Lancia Dedra

Ford Ka

Mitsubishi Mirage

Daewoo Matiz

Which of these SUVs do you think is most likely to become a classic, once gasoline is as common among motorists' garages as bales of hay?

Chevy Suburban

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Lamborghini Urus

Zap! Which electric car do you think may already be a classic?

Faraday Future FF 91

Tesla Roadster II

Chevy Bolt

Reva G-Wiz

Dude! Radical! Which 1980s masterpiece is the classic you'd want from the era?

DeLorean DMC-12

Buick Grand National

Audi Quattro

Lancia Delta Integrale

What abuse would you levy upon a Ford Model T, if you were cruel enough to do it?

Ground effects

Gold trim and tinted windows

Color shift paint job

Spinners

Let's go off road. Which rally car is the greatest masterpiece?

Audi Quattro

Subaru Impreza WRX

Lancia Stratos

Mitsubish Lancer Evolution X

If you had to go to college all over again, which hot hatch would keep you warm at night?

VW GTI

Ford Focus ST

Seat Leon

Mazda3speed

Which classic car enunciates "mid-life crisis" most clearly?

Ford Mustang

Dodge Challenger

Chevrolet Corvette

Aston Martin anything

Which of these highly strung classics would you be willing to daily drive, despite the fact that driving them is both difficult and stressful?

Jaguar XJ-S

Lancia Statos

Lamborghini Miura

1st Generation Ford Mustang

How much time would you be willing to put into maintaining a classic car?

I'll pay someone to do it full time.

I'll spend every weekend doing it, holidays and social life be damned.

I'll take care of it like any car.

I'll spend an hour every day if I have to.

Which of these sound investments would you pass up to own a classic car?

Managed fund

T bills

ETF

Gold

Some people fill their garage with old cars. How many cars is too many?

There is no such thing.

4

2

12

You're clearly an enthusiast. What is it about classic cars you love so much?

Their constantly rising value

Their dynamic abilities

Their history

Their looks

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